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Whether you are a business owner shopping for your business or a homeowner looking for something new for your kitchen, a stainless steel table can perform a variety of functions in your space. Stainless steel work tables are durable, sturdy work surfaces that can stand up to the weight of heavy equipment and a large amount of force from performing tasks on their surfaces. For homes, stainless steel kitchen tables make great areas for food preparation and can also work as serving and seating areas when you're hosting large crowds.

The metal's durability and non-porous surface makes a table crafted from it easy to sterilize and keep clean. In a home kitchen, a steel table can add beauty to the overall look of the room and coordinate with steel appliances and counter tops.

Whatever your needs, the wide selection of tables available from top manufacturers ensures that there is a model or style that is perfect for your home or business. Shopping for a new table can feel complicated at first, as many homeowners and business owners aren't sure how to get started. An easy way to start your search for that perfect piece is to shop for the piece by size. If you determine what dimensions are ideal for your location, you can limit your search to just those tables that will fit your space.

Our Buyers' Guide to Shopping for Stainless Steel Tables by Size is designed to serve as a shopping companion to help you determine what size piece will work in your kitchen or other space. At the end, the guide also briefly reviews the other considerations that go into finding the perfect table.

How to Begin

If you are in a commercial setting, your table may need to meet certain size requirements to be appropriate for use in your space. Before you shop, review the federal, state and local safety and health codes to see if your industry is subject to any specific regulations regarding work tables or work surfaces in general.

For home kitchens, take some time to think about the different functions that your table will perform in your home. If you plan to use it for seating or serving, try to estimate how often it will serve these additional purposes and what size groups will be sitting at the table, if applicable.

In both commercial and home settings, you should think about what type of work will be performed at the table and what tools and equipment are necessary for completing it. Will there be a need to set up several work stations at the table or will just one task be completed at it at a time? Do you prefer to have the table cleaned between tasks or is it more convenient to leave items from all previous tasks positioned on the table until the work is finished? Will more than one person at a time ever need to use the table?

The last step to getting ready to consider the ideal height of a table for your home or business is to measure the location where the table will be placed. For some settings, ensure that there is a 30 to 36-inch walkway on any side of the table that will need to be passed. In commercial settings, regulations will typically govern the minimum size for your walkways.

Style

The style of your table will have some effect upon its size. There are four primary styles that are found in the collections of today's manufacturers.

Equipment stand tables are often square in shape and sit lower to the ground than an ordinary table. These pieces function as resting places for large pieces of equipment, such as commercial standing mixers.

Cart tables are smaller pieces mounted on wheels that are designed to travel easily throughout a home kitchen. Typically, carts are used for food preparation and may be used to transport food to a table, but are not big enough for seating.

Rolling cabinet tables are commonly used in kitchens and are similar to a cart in that they are meant to be moved easily with the metal casters attached to their bases. A rolling cabinet looks more like a kitchen island than a traditional cart, however, and is usually slightly larger and bulkier. These pieces are typically not large enough to serve as seating areas.

Traditional table styles are rectangular in shape, though some may be square or circular. Traditional tables are available in a variety of sizes and are the best choices in home spaces for pieces that will serve multiple functions. This style is also the type most commonly used as a work table in a commercial setting.

Length

Length is the distance along the front of a table and corresponds to how much room there is on its surface traveling from left to right or right to left across the top. The dimension will have the largest effect on the working space available on the tabletop as well as how many people can sit at a kitchen table.

Although everyone's exact working needs are different, 18 to 25 inches of space across the length of a table is usually necessary for one working task to be arranged and for one person to comfortably stand at the table. In terms of seating, around 24 inches of space is necessary per person to ensure a comfortable amount of elbow room between your guests.

The four length categories for tables include:

Under 25 inches in length - generally enough room for one working task with very little additional space around the task for keeping tools and ingredients close by; not ideal for seating

25 to 30 inches in length - generally enough room for one working task with additional space around the task for keeping tools and ingredients close by; capable of seating one person along the length

31 to 40 inches in length - generally enough room for one working task with a large amount of additional space around the task for keeping tools and ingredients close by or for use for two tasks that take up a moderate amount of space; capable of seating one person along the length

Over 40 inches in length - generally enough room for two people to work side by side with ample space for setting up two working tasks; the largest styles on this category can seat two persons along the length

Width

Width is the distance from the front to the back of a table. Square and round tables will have equal length and width measurements, and for rectangular styles, the width is partially determined by the length. The most important considerations to keep in mind when thinking about the best width for your space is the size of the items that will be used on its surface and the amount of room in your location.

The four width categories for tables include:

Under 20 inches in width

21 to 24 inches in width

25 to 30 inches in width

Over 30 inches in width

Height

Height corresponds to how high the top of a table stands above the floor. The height of a table largely determines how easy it is to use as a working surface and will also dictate what size chairs or stools can be used comfortably with it.

The four primary height categories are:

Under 34 inches in height - best used for seating, serving and storing equipment; can be used with regular size dinging chairs

34 and 35 inches in height - best used as a work surface for people under 5'4" tall; can be used with high chairs or low bar stools for seating

36 inches in height - best used as a working surface for people of average height; can be used with most standard size bar stools for seating

Over 36 inches in height - best used as a working surface for people over 5'10" tall; can be used with high bar stools for seating

Other Considerations

Now, that you have limited your search to the stainless steel tables in the ideal style for your purposes that are in the right size for your needs, you're ready to start eliminating styles based on other criteria. For starters, you must determine whether you want to purchase a piece with a wood top and a metal body or an entirely stainless steel piece.

Take some time to think about what kinds of items you need to store within your table. Then, look for the pieces that have the right arrangements of drawers, shelves, cabinets and other features that will keep these items the most organized and easy to grab.

In addition, you'll need to decide what finish will be best for your new table, keeping in mind that the more reflective the surface, the more fingerprints and smudges will show up on the tabletop.